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AAP
AAP
National
Stephanie Gardiner

Mass drownings spike ahead of summer's 'perfect storm'

Thirty people drowned in Australia in 2025/26, the highest number in almost a decade. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

A family sets out on a country drive, a group of mates embark on a boat trip, or a couple go on a quiet coastal walk.

While summer outings end well in the vast majority of cases, it is these kinds of seemingly innocuous activities behind Australia's grim mass drowning toll.

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